Nearly three dozen DuPage County-based small nonprofit agencies are receiving a combined $711,336 in grants from the DuPage County Board to help fortify their specific mission statements.
A brief presentation on the 32 individual grant awards was given at the County Board’s Tuesday, June 24 meeting to announce the disbursements.
“This is a very special day for some important organizations in our county,” County Board Chair Deb Conroy said. “This board created a small nonprofit grant program to fund projects benefiting our residents in the areas of job readiness and literacy, education and mentoring, housing and shelter, behavioral health services, substance use treatment, and food assistance.”
The County Board in January voted to allocate $1.05 million for a “round 2” Small Agency Grant Program, using investment earnings from monies received from the American Rescue Plan Act.
Recipients, board members speak about grant program
Grant recipients had to meet several specific criteria to receive the funding, including an official 501(c)(3) status, be an organization in good standing, and have annual revenue under $300,000. According to county officials, the funds were distributed equally among the board’s six districts.
“Each board member here played a vital role reviewing applications,” said District 6 County Board member Greg Schwarze, chair of the Human Services Committee.
Lynn Dugan, a volunteer with Carol Stream-based Repeat Boutique, was on hand for a check presentation at the board meeting. Dugan said Repeat Boutique runs because of the assistance of 70 volunteers. Last year, the organization served 4,000 DuPage families and 18,000 people.
“(The grant funds) come at an amazing time,” Dugan said. “Because of the increased numbers at the center, we’ve had to recruit more volunteers, we’ve had to appeal to a wider group of donors.”
District 5 County Board member Dawn DeSart said the grant allocations were well deserved.
“All we did, as board members, was give them money,” DeSart said. “They’re out in the community, every single day, doing the work. Whatever it is, they’re putting in the work, as volunteers.”
Fellow District 5 County Board member Sadia Covert also had high words of praise for the award recipients at the recent meeting.
“I’m really proud of them, and happy to support them,” Covert said. “I am hoping we can have another program like this again. I want to be able to continue helping these wonderful nonprofits in our area.”
Which DuPage organizations were grant recipients?
Below is a list of the 32 small agency grant recipients and the dollar allocations for each:
- Accelerate Climate Solutions – $30,000
- Burr Ridge Community Park Foundation – $10,000
- Chinese American Women in Action – $26,500
- Community Access Naperville Inc. – $15,000
- CREO DuPage Ltd. – $15,000
- D41 Kids Foundation – $7,500
- Darien Lions Club Foundation – $30,000
- DoodleBug Workshop Vocational Training Center – $30,000
- Elmhurst Walk-In Assistance Network – $30,000
- Glen Ellyn Youth and Family Counseling Service – $30,000
- Guardian Corps of America – $5,000
- Kids Against Hunger – Illinois – $30,000
- My Child’s Life Matters Inc. – $30,000
- My Half – $25,000
- Naperville Neighbors United – $30,000
- O.L.I. Gardens, Inc. – $25,356
- Orchestra Parents/Patrons’ United Support – $17,450
- Paws 4 Kids 4 Paws – $30,000
- Repeat Boutique – $30,000
- Restorative Resources Foundation of DuPage – $5,000
- Ride Assist Naperville – $15,000
- Serenade Love Your Neighbor, NFP – $10,000
- St. Sophia’s Forgotten Felines – $17,500
- The Awakenings Project – $6,350
- The Baton Pass – $30,000
- The Center Coracles – $26,880
- The GardenWorks Project – $5,000
- The Harambee Initiative, Inc. – $29,800
- United Community Concerns Association – $29,000
- Westmont Lions Foundation – $30,000
- You Matter Inc. NFP – $30,000
- Youth 4 Excellence Inc. – $30,000
Photo courtesy: DuPage County Board – From left: DuPage County Board Human Services Committee Vice-Chair Paula Deacon Garcia, DuPage County Board Human Services Committee Chairman Greg Schwarze, Lynn Dugan, Director of Repeat Boutique, and DuPage County Board Chair Deborah Conroy
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